Gas producer



April 17,-1928. 1,666,604

c. w. LUMMIS GASPRODUCQER Filed Dec 19, 1921 Patented Apr. 17, 1928UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. IiDMMIS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CON-STRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

GAS PRODUCER.

The present invention relates to gas producers, and more particularlyinvolves 1mprovements in the instrumentaht es employed for procuring andcontrolling the discharge of ashes from the producer during the gasmaking operation.

The invention contemplates an exceedingly simple combination andarrangement of elements for these purposes, having all the capabilitiesof much more complicated prlor art devices, in procuring the automaticag1- tation of the fuel bed and the discharge of ashes therefrom, theconstruction being fully described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 1s a vertical sectional view of a gas producer embodyingtheinventron.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detall view show ng the operating mechanism partlyln-elevatlon and partly in vertical sectlon. Fig. 3 is a plan view of anash plowing member.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged development in plan of certain safetyclutch detalls. Like reference characters refer to like parts in thedifferent figures.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the gas producer therein illustratedembodies the usual fuel containing shell 1; said shell has a dependingskirt 2, which is adapted to make a seal with the body of watercontained in the usual bottom or ash pan3. The pan 3 supports the shell1 above it by means of a plurality of spaced posts 4 only one of whichis shown, and the entire shell and pan structure as a unit is supportedfor rotation through its attached annular track 11 secured to the bottomof the pan 3, and running on an annular series of rollers, one of sowhich rollers is shown at 10, Fig. 1. Formed integrally with the track11 is an annular gear 5 which meshes with a pinion 6 that is keyed to aconstantly rotating actuating shaft 7. Said shaft 7 is driven from anysuitable source of power, not shown, by a worm gear 8 and'worm 9, andthus imparts continuous rotation to the unit pan and shellv structure.

By this construction the fuel bed 1s subjected to a continuous rotation,WhlCh enables the upper surface thereof to beproperly and continuouslyagitated, as for 1nstance by means of a surface agitatmg device 12,which is here shown as a swinging radial leveller adapted to float onthe surface of the fuel, and to change its position in response to thevariations .in the level thereof, as fully described in Letters PatentNo. 1,251,064, granted December 25, 1917, to Lummis and Isley.

" The removal of ashes from the producer is accomplished by a stationaryinclined plow 13, disposed peripherally of the pan 3 and adjustablevertically relative to said pan by means of a screw 13'. This plow 13works in cooperation with a double spiral plow 14 on the bottom of thepan, said plow 14 being preferably of the skeleton construction shown inFlg. 3.- In operation, said plowing member 14, as hereinafter described,sweeps over the surface of the bottom of pan 3, bemg of such a diameteras not to interfere with the peripheral supports 4, and crowds the ashesoutwardly beyond said osts, thereby disposin them in position to eremoved by the p ow 13.

The plow 14 is adapted to rotate either in unison with the pan 3 and'shell'l, or at a different speed; when'rotation in unison occurs, theplow 14 is inoperative, but when relative movement takes place, in theman.- ner hereinafter described, the plowin function is obtained, andthe ash is crow ed outwardly over the-bottom and u the side of the panfor removal by the p ow 13. The operatlon of the plow 14 is'controlled-in the following manner A centrally disposed member 15 passesupwardly through the ash pan 3, the latter having an inner watercontaining flange 19, WhlCh provides a bearing 16 for the support ofmember 15, and for its rotation when desired. A similar lower bearing 17for said member 15 is also preferably provided. The rotatable member 15is connected tothe plow 14 by an annular member 18, the latter being inthe form of a skirt which entersthe Water in the pan 3 and effectuallyseals and prevents any escape of gas past the running joint which member15 makes at the bearing 16 with said pan. The attachment of the plow 14to the lower end of the member 18 is made in any suitable way toconstrain rotation of said parts in unison, preferably however, so thatthe weight of said plow is sustained by the ash pan, rather than by thebearin s 16 and 17 g In 51o absence of independent rotation imparted tothe plow 14 through members 15 and 18, said plow rotates in unison withthe pan 3 and shell 1, as do also said memhere 15 and 18, because oftheir direct support by said pan. Under these conditions there issubstantially no agitation of the lower portion of the fuel bed, andhence no appreciable movement of ashes in the pan 3. The presentinvention however, provides for a positive independent rotation of saidplow 14, through the agency of the members 15 and 18, and this isaccomplished in the following manner I Secured to themember 15 is a gear20, which, inwardly of its periphery, makes a running joint at 20 with aflange on the bottom of ash pan .3, this permitting the gear ahd pan torotate at different speeds.

Said gear 20 meshes with a .pinion 21 thatv normally runs loosely on asleeve 22 on constantly rotating shalt 7. Adjacent the loose pinion'21is a clutch collar 23, the latter being attached. to shaft 7 by a key orspline 24, which compels its rotation with the shaft, but perm ts of itslongitudinal movement thereon. The opposing faces of inion 21 and collar23 are provided respective ly with cooperating clutch jaws 25 and 26,Fig. 2, normally out of engagement, but which may be thrown intoengagement by longitudinal. movement of the collarv 23. This collar 23is adapted to be moved by a bell-crank shipper lever 27, to which ispivotallyconnected a link 28, the latter extending to the operatingfloor and being actuated by a hand lever 29, the manipulation of which,as will be seen, engages and disengages the clutch.

When the clutch teeth are thrown into engagement, the rotation of shaft7 is 'imparted to the pinion 21, and the relation'of said pinion to thegear 20 is such that the plow 14, through members 15 and 18, is rotatedat a slightly higher speed than the shell 1 and pan 3. That is, withdriving pinions 6 and 21 of substantially the same size, as shown, thegear 20 being smaller than the gear 5, will have imparted thereto ahigher speed of rotation than ear 5. Such relative movement causes theas upon the bottom'of rotating pan 3 to be crowded outwardly, thecrowding force being exerted substantially in the plane of support ofthe ash, or approximately at the lowest position that the ash reachesbefore being discharged through the water seal. The arrangement is suchthat the ash is maintained continuous- 1y under the influence of plow14, even after passing out of contact therewith, there being no abru tdeflection of the ash from the line of the orce exerted by said plowuntil the ashes reach the outer wall of the an 3;

there they are crowded upwardly y the ashes behind, which are beingpushed out by the plow 14.

With the producer operating at its maximum capacity and with coal havinga very high ash content, it may be necessary to rotate the plow 14through the clutch connection with shaft 7 practically all of the time.On the other hand, with lower rates municating with the lower end ofcentral member 15. As shown in Fig. 4, the angles of the clutch jaws 25and 26 are suchthat the clutch is self-releasing, when an undueresistance to the rotation of the plow 14 is encountered. hese jaws areprevented from disengaging, under normal conditions, in the absence ofundue resistance, by the weight of the clutch-actuating parts, andalso,if necessary, by the provision of an adjustable weight 32 on thelever 27.

According to the present invention the shell of the producer issupported from the ash pan in such a manner as to do away with allobstructions to the free descent of the ash; and, notwithstanding thisform of support, the plowing mechanism is such as to procure thedelivery of ashes beyond the supporting means, for discharge from theperiphery of the pan. .In addition, it is to be noted that this plowingaction is obtained, when desired, without affecting the distribution ofblast; in other words, the

plowing mechanism is never compelled to operate in order to assist thedistribution of blast, at times when the plowing of ashes might bedetrimental.

-I claim,

1. In a gas producer, an ash pan whose bottom provides the lowest levelreached by the ashes prior to their discharge fromthe producer, a fuelshell, peripherally arranged supports connecting said shellwith the ashpan bottom and uniting pan and shell for rotation in unison withoutobstruction to the shell, peripherall arranged supports con necting saidshel with the ash pan bottom rocure I free, being rotatable in unisonwith said pan, and means for independently rotating said plowing memberat a difierent speed from the speed of said pan.

3. In a gas producer, a fuel shell, a waterseal pan whose bottom affordsthe lowest point of support for the bed of ash and fuel, means forrotating said shell and pan in unison, an ash plow supported'on thebottom of said pan for rotation in unison therewith when said plow is.inoperative, means for selectively imparting an independent rotation tosaid plow at a diflferent speed from the speed of shell and pan, torender said plow operative, and means for automatically interruptingtheindependent rotation of said plow in the'event of undue resistancethereto. p

4. In a gas roducer, an ash and waterseal pan, a fue shell, peripherallyarranged supports connecting saidshell with the bot- 'tom of said panand uniting pan and shell for rotation in unison without obstruction tothe 'free descent-ofashes into said pan from said shell, means forimparting rotation to said pan and shell during the operation of theproducer, a plowing member supported on-the bottom of said pan and effective on the ashes therein at the lowest level reached by said ashesprior to-their discharge from the producer, thereby to procure movementof said ashes on the bottom of the pan beyond said'peripheral supports,

a rotatable member to which the said plowing member is secured, saidrotatable member making a seal with the water in said pan, and means forimparting rotation to said 'lastnamedmember at a speed different fromthe-speed of pan and shell.

5. In gas producer, a shell and a waterseal pan connected together andfor rotation in unison, means for supporting said shell from said pan,an independently revoluble ash plow supported on "the bottom of saidpan, a rotatable member to which said 'plow' is secured, said membermaking a seal with water in said pan, and means for imparting .arotation tosaid member independently ofv and at a speed different fromthe rotation imparted to pan and shell. I y Y 6. In a gas producer, afuel shell, a waterseal pan whose bottom affords the lowest 7 point ofsupport-for the bed of ash and fuel in said producer, means for rotatingsaid shell and pan in unison, anindependently revolubleash plowsupported on the bottom of' said pan and'adapted to rotate in unisontherewith when saidplow. is inoperative,

a. rotatable member to which said plow is secured, said member making aseal with the water in said pan, and means for imparting an independentrotation to said member at a speeddifierent from that of pan and shell,to render said plow operative when desired.

. CHARLES- W. LUMMIS.

